Inevitable Storms
by ZenPotter
Summary: Tess Hardings arrives in Roswell like a storm on a sunny day. This takes place during Tess, Lies and Videotape, and will be AU going forward, will have CCs anc ACs.
1. Reason

Inevitable Storms

By ZanPotter

Desclaimer: I don't own Roswell, yada, yada, yada

Summary: Tess Hardings arrives in Roswell like a storm on a sunny day. This takes place during Tess, Lies and Videotape, and will be AU going forward, will have CCs anc ACs.

Chapter One - Reason

There was a storm brewing. Nature's reminder to the world of humankind that there are some things that can not be controlled. Flames light the skies, dancing in the night as the spark roared in the air. Water fell to the earth, an endless entourage of doves clashing down from the heavens. It was an undeniably refreshing reminder. Some things in the world cannot be controlled. It was why at times such as these, humanity would retreat. In the ongoing battle between humanity and nature, humankind had the sense to fall back. To retreat in the safe havens they had created for themselves, to shelter them from nature's wrath, from the storm. Maxwell Evans was not human and perhaps it is because of that biological fact that the young man had found himself entangled in a very peculiar problem in this very particular night.

Maxwell, better known as Max, Evans though not entirely human liked to think of himself as fairly reasonable young man. Reason had dictated, practically fell on bended knees and begged that the boy follow the protocol of retreat. However, it has been argued and found to be true that possessing the ability to reason did not actual result in the behaviors to indicate such rationale. Indeed, Max's behavior this night did not indicate any rational process. Those who knew Max, those who would testify a sworn oath of Max's virtues, would not only paint a picture of Max's reasonable nature but his intellectual mind. So why then this unreasonable act? Why then this idiocy? For what purpose could be achieved in weathering a miserable storm. What manner of thought? What emotion? What could ever explain such madness? Ask those same people , those people that had sworn up and down of this young man's virtues. And they would only have one answer.

Max Evans was a romantic. And so following the preset of previous romantics, his actions could only be insanity certified because by all accounts romantics can only have and only answer to the demands of one mistress. _**Love**_. Of course reason dictates that the only reason a reasonable man can do unreasonable things is because of love. So following the conditions of this reasonably unreasonable disposition, Max ventured to the outside and found himself caught in the jars of a shark for, what else, but a girl.

Elizabeth Parker is a perfectly ordinary looking girl, She lived in an ordinary town that once upon a time had experienced fame, she lived with somewhat ordinary, definitely mostly ordinary people. No observer, no stranger can take a many glances at her and think to themselves. How extraordinary. She wasn't so grandly beautiful, her looks quite ordinary in form. She was however a bit more intelligent than the ordinary girl, but that was due to her rather studious nature brought to the surface by a grant dream. There was one thing, however, that made Elizabeth, better known as Liz, Parker extraordinary.

For as long as he could remember. Max Evans has only ever been in love with Liz Parker. _**She **_was the sun and the moon, the stars in the sky and everything in-between. She was light in the dark; warm fire in winter. And Liz Parker was the reason that Max had made this journey in the rainstorm. And that is why this was all very strange. Max Evans was kissing a girl under the slaughter of the ongoing rain. Willingly, passionately kissing a girl. And to think a few moment before, he had thought his journey had given him his just reward.

_"I love __**you **__Liz" He said to her, so clearly, so honestly without a hint of uncertainty, without hesitation. "You are the one Liz, the __**only **__one. I can never be with anyone else."_

_He meant every word, his heart spoken true and aloud to the heavens. Was it a surprise then that Liz's response had been a kiss? A kiss filled with desire and need, a kiss that conveyed every beat of her heart. Her heart was a reflection of his. These young ones, these young people in love had never felt more complete as they did in that eternal moment. Even as the rain raged outside, time had lost all meaning for both had become lost in each other._

Max kissed _**her **_passionately, without reservation and without thought of mind. He kissed her as if the end of all was to arrive shortly and he could not get enough. She returned his embrace with just as much fervor.

_Max Evans left Liz Parker's humble abode, feeling quite pleased with himself. There was satisfaction in the depths of his heart, a pleasing joy so full it threatened to burst out of his chest to the viewing pleasures of the universe. He left her home, and while walking on his way to his humble abode, there was a light sprint in his steps, his heart weighting as light as a feather. What a contradiction made, a full heart weighting so lightly. His mind was filled with thoughts of her. She was perfection. Her dark waving hair, her sparkling chocolate brown eyes, brilliantly blinding smile. Oh, she was extraordinarily, exquisitely the most beautiful thing he had ever been blessed to see. _

_"Max" _

_A familiar voice called out to him. A voice that froze his heart still, and stopped him dead in his tracks. He wished that he had imagined it but there could be no way the universe was that kind to him. He wished that by standing still he could disappear in the splintering rain. Wishes however were definitely not horses. He wished he had been blessed with the power to disappear; he was not. So Max did what he knew was unavoidable, he turned. _

_It was __**her .**_

_Alas, the universe was definitely not that kind. _

_"My car broke down" she said yelling to be heard over the drowning rain, "Can you believe it?"_

_Planted on her face, a set of twinkling eyes that had in them a spark of mystery and a smile so bright it was on the verge of laughter. The raining water had drenched her clothes and they clung to her tightly. She stood there, a visage of innocence come alive. _

_Max swallowed, the beats of his no longer frozen heart began a race against each other. _

_"No" Max said, a statement of a simple word defined in all languages in the same manner. A denial. _

_"No" She echoed in seeming confusion, a frown appeared and disappeared with the flashing lightening. He almost withdrew into himself, almost retreated. _

_"No" Max said once again then clarified, "I don't believe it" _

_Her ocean like eyes widened, the green in her iris more clearer than before, yet her smile stayed the same, "What are you talking about?" She asked with light laughter sipping in the tone of her voice. _

_Max knew he should not say another word, he was a smart boy, why then did he lose all ability to reason. _

_"You planned this" He said plainly, accusation flying in the air. He was not angry, his statement was one of fact as he saw it. His words were a determination building up. He was determined. Determined to stop __**her**__._

_"I planned what?" She asked, again confusion expressed only by her eyes marred her face. _

_It was perhaps the self-assuredness she possessed in her arsenal that caused Max come to takes steps towards her meanwhile a thought ran ramped through his head. There was something not quite right about the girl in front of him. _

_"To be out here" Max said, answering her. There was something about __**her**__. _

_"Max" She said, eyes back to normal and wearing a smile even brighter than before if that was at all possible, "You sound a little crazy" _

_Of course, he sounded crazy, he knew he sounded crazy. But there was a reason. Unreasonable enough, __**she **__was the reason. _

_"You are doing something to me" Max accused her, his steps taking himself closer to this mysterious girl in front of him. _

_"Max, my car broke down" She said, "I am waiting for somebody to help me. I didn't plan anything"_

_He sounded crazy; she sounded reasonable. Max finally stopped in front of her; she had stood still as he advanced towards her, as he threw accusation upon her person and yet __**she **__stood and allowed a crazy-sounding young man to invade her personal space. _

_"I'm with Liz" It was a strong statement, a fact known by all. _

_"I know you are" She was, after all, one of the knowing. _

_"We belong together" He had told Liz that, not the same words, no but the meaning. The meaning remained the same, unchanging._

_"I'm sure that's true" The tone of her voice changed when she made that statement, no longer on the verge of laughter, as serious as it could get in fact. As did her smile, dimming slightly._

_Max got even closer, "I don't want anyone else but her" He whispered to her and to himself and to nature itself._

_She held eyes and trapped them and then she said, "I'm sure you don't" And then his world unraveled. _

Nature in all its glory had this understated habit of not following the rules of man. She came like nature, storming in the sky, stomping in his life without warning. And like a moth to a flame, he was drawn to her. She was a stranger and Max, who had always had this instinctual aversion to strangers, was uncommonly, frighteningly, and uncontrollably drawn to her. His hands, having a will of their own, had grabbed her, anger simmering beneath the surface, finally. He wanted to shake her, to shake the truth out of her. In the next verified moment however his lips were upon hers. He kissed _**her**_.

In the midst of the pouring rain, the brewing storm. Max kissed **her**; like mother nature, that uncontrollable nature, so was this passionate embrace. It drowned out everything, reason and common sense. His mind fell blank, no thought to be had. This wasn't **love**; he had never felt this before either. And then it happen.

_A little blonde girl in a water filled tank. The two of them in a desert staring at each other, holding hands. A rocky hill, paved upward. A sky of flickering stars, five brighter than the rest aligned in a V like shape. _

The flashes ran through his mind and at once, just like that, he snapped out of it. He snapped out of nature's uncontrollable grasp. He withdrew from the kiss, confusion sipping into every part of his being. He looked at her, stared deeply in her eyes and she stared back unabashedly. His breaths were shallow as the water mingled air barely gave him air. His heart was striving to tear itself from inside his chest. He was awaken.

"Who are you?" He asked.

The sound of his voice brought back the mad world. Crashing back into his head, reason, in his heart, the disastrous unreasonable actions he had partaken in. Guilt came in waves to consume him. He turned away from her piercing eyes and did the one thing he knew he had to do. The one thing he should have done long back when nature's hands showed its play. He retreated.

Turning away, answers withstanding, the time to retreat quietly had long passed. He took steps away from her without conscious thought. The steps began a sprint that turned to a jog and soon enough, more. He heard his name, her voice calling out to him. So he did what he should have done when she had first called out to him. He ignored her and keep on running.

He was a coward, of course he was, the truth self evident. A cowardly coward cowardly running away but he could not stop; he could not turn back time either. What he could do though was run. The storm raged on and keeping pace were memories playing in sequence within the foundations of his mind. At the center of it all was _**her**_. A girl who was more than a girl; ordinary, she was not. No, _**she**_ was the very essence of love embodied in body.

Using reason, he came to the unreasonable conclusion that he was not at all at fault. After all, there was no way in any way, in any world that Max Evans could ever kiss a girl. He could never kiss any girl in that way, in that manner, and not have her be Liz. It was simply impossible. The impossible however impossibly it seemed had proved it's resilience. Tonight Max Evans had kissed a girl. It that way, in that manner.

It was not _**Liz**_.


	2. Reason Part Two

Chapter Two - Reason Part Two

There is a dome in the New Mexican desert; it has been there for almost five decades. There is a dome in the desert, alone it has stood, in silence and in waiting. It has stood unoccupied by man, in its insidious vessel; it has instead harbored books, ancient articles; antiques and the like. One fine day, a young man came along with others and keys in hand placed a claim on this dome in the desert. It was perhaps a perfect safe haven, miles away this civilization. A hide out to be used in case there was ever any need. That was the very reason all had come to converge in this round dome in the desert. A need had arisen and so it came to pass that this dorm in the desert had inside the center of its belly a group of young people.

A group of six. Three boys and three girls, each in a pair. One in such a group was Liz Parker.

Placed on an old table, clashing with all the ancient artifacts was a don of technological objects. A large screen and some components of a discarded computer parts put together by a genius among the young people in the room. On the screen, a still image of a home, stairs leading to un-viewable rooms upward and a barely made out living room. A young girl, blond hair, and green eyes came about to view.

Liz Parker was the light of Max Evan's world, and Max the light of hers. Max was the reason that she was in the middle of no way, miles from any civilization, and it came to pass that she could not have it any other way. For when it comes to love, reason was not allowed to lead the minds of man. Even if it was not love, loyalty was also factor. Liz owed Max more than her beating heart but also her life and soul. Months ago, something happened to Liz, something so momentous that it not only threatened to change her life forever, it did. Months ago, there was a shooting, a shooting in a restaurant that Liz Parker's family owned.

It is known as the Crashdown shooting by fellow residents. The Crashdown, the name of the restaurant, was located in Roswell, New Mexico and it had a very famous theme, that of the extraterrestrial kind. Liz remembered the day well, she could not forget even if she could. After all, it was the day she was shot, it was the day she died.

It was also the day Liz Parker began to perfect the art of lying.

That day, it was unusual busy and the place was packed with the bodies of young and old. Noise shuffling in the air. Liz Parker worked as a part-time waitress in her family's establishment and she was rushing to and from, taking orders in her notepad as well as answering question in regards to the existence of other life in the stars. Playing the game, she gave auspicious answers, her eyes twinkling with laughter.

_"Max Evans is staring at you again" Maria De Luca, Liz's very best friend in the world as well as fellow work mate, had told her with a sly smile. _

_Liz did not take the bait, a denial coming out of her lips even as she glanced at the fore mentioned teenage boy. By the way he ducked his head, and turned from her glance, she knew Maria's words to be truth. It could never be anything. Max Evens did not hold her attentions long however because of what happened next. _

_A shot rang out. _

_Panic swept the crowd while Liz's body dove to the floor. The pain did not come at first but when it did, all she could do was open her mouth in a silent scream. The screams of others, as well as the moving world faded out and death came to claim her. Her memories played out like pictures from a book before darkness descended. Then her eyes flew open to find Max's face hovering above her sight. _

Liz Parker believed herself to be no fool, a fairly reasonable young girl, she possessed the senses granted to all that she used in all context of her life. That day reason failed her, it failed spectacularly. That day she died, she knew she did, was also the day she lived as well. It was the day Max Evans saved her life. He did not call the ambulance or put pressure on her wounds to stop her bleeding. He did place his hands on her wounds though and put pressure and then the strangest thing happened, she was healed by his touch.

Literally.

Blood sipped back from whence it came and the wound closed up. The only red liquid splashed upon her body and clothes was from a ketchup bottle that Max himself had broken. In the midst of a world gone made, of screams and cries, Max healed her. He made her both an alibi and an accomplice. He asked, pleaded, for her silence before dashing of and out of sight. When asked, Liz Parker will tell people of the day of the shooting, of how lucky she was that the bullet had strayed from her path. She would lie and lie well. For how often are we granted the gift of life in exchange for silence.

Curiosity however got the better of the young girl, she had to know, just for herself. She stole Max's DNA, coincidentally enough he was her lab partner at the educational institute known as Roswell High. She stole and compared his to hers. His was different. It was not enough and so soon enough, desiring answers; an inch she could not satisfy with just any old scratch, she finally cornered Max in an empty music room at school, demanding answers.

_"Where are you from?" She asked and all she got from him was a finger pointing up. _

_"Up north" She asked confusion drawn in her face, she got even more silence as an answer the finger moving further up. _

_"You are not an, an alien. I mean. Are you?"_

Even as she asked, knowing the impossibility of it all, she knew that she had answered all her curious nature with the same very question. The world indeed had turned up on it self. Max divulged all that day. Who he was? What he was? All the secrets he could share, he did. He wasn't the only one, his sister Isabel was one as well as a friend, Michael. Aliens, from the famous Roswell crash, it was all overwhelming. Reason however could not give another answers satisfactory enough. At first Liz could not understand. How could she? She was only human. But then he showed her.

When Max healed Liz the day of the shooting, Max made a connection with her, he saw images, her memories, her past. He saw into the depths of her being, into her very soul. That day in the music room, he connected with her again except in reverse. He allowed her to see him. And all she saw was that the way he saw her. She saw herself, ordinary her doing the most mundane things. Walking in the hallways of school, sitting in the school yard reading, laughing with friends, smiling at customers. She saw herself surrounded by light. She knew immediately without expressed words.

He loved her; She _**was**_ loved.

Which is why everything was making little sense. What she witnessed clashed against the rigid knowledge in the depths of her soul.

_"I saw you, Max" Liz spoke, her eyes red. _

What she had seen threatened to rip apart the fabric of reality from its seems.

_When she walked into the Crashdown earlier, Liz went straight past the table occupied by Max and his companions, Michael and Isabel to the locker-room locked in the back room of the restaurant without a second look. It was such a strange occurrence because Liz and Max were the king and queen of public displays of affections. Annoyingly so, according to those that knew them intimately. Max's sister Isabel had used the word creepy to describe them. Max immediately followed and so now they stood in the midst of lockers watching each other. _

_"How could you kiss her?" She asked, she looked a mess, she knew that but it wasn't her fault. _

_"I don't know" Max said, confusion setting into his eyes, "I don't know what's happening"_

_"You know all those things you said to me, Max? Were any of them true?" She struggles to keep her voice from trembling from unshed tears as she asked. The night before, when the storm raged outside, he had weathered the rain and wind just to came to her, to see her. He told her that she was the one, the person he was suppose to be with. That it was fate that brought them together. _

_"Liz" He said her name, it fell in the air like a caress from the wind. "Liz, you've got to believe me. It wasn't me. She was there, she was waiting for me."_

_It was laughable, exactly an answer expected from a cheater, she never expected however to ever hear that from the boy standing in front of her. He had told her all those lovely things and she had believed in him. She believed in his words with all her heart and with all her soul. Then just after he confesses his undying love he had to ruin it, he had to kiss someone else, someone who wasn't her._

_"Oh, so it's her fault" Liz stated, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at the words coming out of his mouth at the moment._

_"Liz, something is going on with her" He said, his words were sincere. "I'm telling you, something is not right about her" His eyes imploring her to listen, to believe. _

_"Not right about her, Max!" She almost screamed, frustrated with the whole dang conversation, "What are you talking about?"_

_"The way I'm drawn to her, it's not just attraction. It's something else." As he spoke a glazed look came to settle on his face, as if there was a clear picture somewhere in the air. Then the look disappeared and he looked at her with that imploring look, "Please Liz, you have to have faith in me, in us" _

_"To have faith?" Liz said, a coldness sipping in her blood. _

_"Yes" Max said, "Until I figure out what's going on. I'm telling you, when I kissed her, I saw things. I had a flash"_

The light went out of Liz's eyes when he told her about the flash. The day Max saved Liz's life, he made a connection, her memories flashed into the recess of his mind. Whenever the two had kissed, Max had flashes, images of anything and everything. It made her feel special, Max had always made her feel special. It always seemed as though, of all the people in all the world, Max's eyes would never befall anyone but her. As if she was the center of his everything. In his defense, Max played the part very well. His feelings were such that every look, every touch, every word was a reflection of his heart. His heart which had thus far belonged to only her. It wasn't reasonable for her to feel that way, but the heart wants what it wants as they say, whoever they were, And the one thing Liz wanted with all her heart was to believe, believe that all she knew to be true, actually was. She wanted to know that what she had felt was true so she did the only thing she knew to do, she did what she had to do.

_"Liz" The girl spoke her name in surprise and wonder. _

_"Hi, can I come in?" Liz asked, nerves tingling her body. _

Though, knowing the facts, knowing what she saw, Liz went instead on faith. Maria, her best and trusted friend had advised her to follow her heart. The heart doesn't lie, after all. She wanted to know that she was loved. What she did, however, the actions she took to get her desired goal wasn't her idea. It was Alex. Alex, her oldest friend, who had given her a camera, small as an eyeball and sent her on her way to confront the enemy. It was hard to go there, to see _**her **_and play everything as normal as she could.

_"Have you ever been in love, Tess?" Liz asked, staring at the enemy. _

_"I've gone out with a lot of guys" Tess said with a polite smile. _

_It wasn't had to believe. Liz could acknowledge that Tess was beautiful, she was a blonde bombshell, just a bit on the short side. Liz was sure in a fight, she could claw her eyes out, it was a terrible thought that ran in the consciousness of her mind without invitation. _

_"We move around too much for me to get serious with just one" Tess explained, with that smile. _

_Liz looked at the young blonde, the image of clawing her eyes out more vivid before she shook herself free, and she took a deep breath to calm herself then looked into Tess's waiting eyes. "I'm in love with Max." Liz said strongly, her words themselves vibrated in the air like magic. _

_"I'm sorry" Tess's eyes widened slightly then her smile changed into something indefinable, "I don't know what that has to do with me" _

_"I saw him" Liz said, gasping another breath before whispering, "kissing you" _

_Immediately Tess's entire stance changed, and she looked like a deer caught in the headlights as well she should._

Tess seemed apologetic, accept no apology was actually verbalized nor did the young blonde deny the truth. The entire debacle was completely mute anyhow because Liz hadn't gone to her home with the intention of bagging an apology. She had gone to that house with one thing in mind, one mission entrusted to her by all her friends. She had to place a camera in an unseen place to view the comings and goings of Tess and family. At first it was placed in a Buddha statue, which broke when Tess's father sneaked up on her while she attempted to snoop through a box of photos. A box full of pictures of Max. Liz forced to attend a meal with the enemy, had done it reluctantly but by the time it was over, Liz's suspicions increased and her doubts all but disappeared. She placed the camera in a bowl full of marbles on the table near the door before she bolted from the strange house and into Max's waiting arms.

The dome in the desert is where she and her friends had decided to use as their base of operations. The six teenagers sat and watched. But time went on with nothing strange in sight, and it was when all had tired out, almost in the depth of sleep did the strange happen. On the screen Tess with her blond hair and green eyes came to view.

"Max, Michael!"

The calling of another young girl, Isabel, Max's sister who had been put on watch duty quickly roused others from the oncoming slumber of the unconscious.

"Come, look at this"

All others, awake, rashly fell to unite into a crowd around and began watching along. On the screen, the young blond had taken a bin from the floor filled with broken stones and unceremoniously dropped the splintered stones on the wooden table.

"What's going on?" Max Evans, asked eyes glued to the blond along with the others.

"I'm not sure" Isabel spoke once more.

All eyes fell on the screen and scene staring intently. A sense of trepidation filled the air. it was hardly time to breath as they watched the mysterious girl do something completely unexpected. On the screen, the young blond had taken a bin from the floor filled with broken stones and unceremoniously dropped the splintered stones on the wooden table. Then with her hands hovering slightly above the dozen upon dozen of broken stone, a slight controlled wind appeared. The stones rose from the table, quickly and began to piece by piece reattach in the Buddha statue as though by magic.

"What the hell?" A young man, the one called Michael asked, confusion drenched in his voice.

_"You still kissed her, Max. I don't know if there'll ever be reason enough to explain that" Liz said sitting next to Max in the dome after the meal he rescued her from._

"Oh my God!" Liz shouted, her words and tone expressing the sentiment felt by one and all.


	3. Instincts

**Chapter Three- Instincts**

When a momentous event threatens to alter the fiber of a known reality, it is wise for those at the center to stop and plan. It is advisable to allocate time for reflection and evolution when a strange occurrence shines in all of its glory on an open platter. Time however was on a short string; it would not be long before someone had the idea to cut up the string into a million little pieces. Max and Liz, along with Max's sister Isabel as well as their friends Michael Guerin, Maria De Luca and Alex Whitman had always been aware of the strange and abnormal. Taking the obvious, the fact that Max, Isabel and Michael were not human, into consideration, witnessing a dose of the strange coming from another unknown entity was short of terrifying.

Max, Michael, and Isabel were not from this world, not from earth, and in all probability not from this solar system. The three beings, who looked very human, but where in fact not human could very well prove the theory of life in other worlds possible. Though physically they looked human enough, for as long as they could remember, Max, Michael and Isabel had always known they were not human. They had also seemed to know that keeping those factual notions to them-selves was the safe thing to do. Instinctually, the three had bet their survival on silence and so far, it had worked out quite well. That was of course true until Max saved Liz's life and therefore put their very existence at risk. Though Max's instincts had screamed against the actions he took that led him to save Liz, though knowing how dangerous it was to use his power to heal in public, Max could not allow her to die. It was the very first thing Max had done that had gone against the primal survival instincts he had perfected throughout his entire life. Even after that day, the day of the Crashdown shooting, things had gone more or less back to normal. Well as normal as it could get in the life of Max Evans.

The tape of Tess Harding reshaping broken stone to the form it had beheld before, that of a Buddha Statue had sufficiently made life more complicated than previously known to be. Instinct, in this case, dictated action. Max's action was one that went against everything he had done or known to do before. Whenever any crisis had made itself known to torment him further, to further widen the differences between what was normal and what was he, he would drive himself right at the center of the illusion of humanity's embrace. He would try to be normal; he would push himself deeper into the ring of normalicity that had worked well for him and his companions. He would pretend, and pretend well, that all was well, and then he would will that positive delusional thought into reality. The tape however could not be ignored, nor could the young girl who was the main star attraction on screen.

It was instinct that had warned Max that Tess was no ordinary human, and instinct had proved to be correct.

It was day one after finding out that Tess was as far from human as could be and Liz did not know what to think or how to feel. She knew that a heavy load had been lifted from the center of her heart only to be replaced by another rock that pressed tightly against her beating heart. She and her friends had decided on the best course of action. Watching and waiting. Moreover, it was what she was doing, watching Tess, following her steps down the hallway of school. She could not believe how normal the girl was acting as if she was not something else.

Something different.

After Liz was shot, she had several encounters with the sheriff of Roswell County Police, and there she had found out about aliens, or as Max put it, those not of this world. Sheriff Valenti had taken her to the privacy of his office and then picture after picture of murdered victims, he showed her the truth. He showed her a silver handprint that had been found in each of the dead, the same silver handprint that had been tattooed on her stomach then. On the very spot Max had placed his hands before saving her life. It was actually because of the lovely sheriff that Liz had decide to start her own investigation, it was actually because of Sheriff Valenti that she had decided to confront Max, and it was because of the sheriff she found out about Max. About whom he was. And it was because of the sheriff, they had found out about Nasado. The fourth alien, the killer, the shape-shifter as he was known by others aware of his existence.

Tess was Nasado, she had to be the fourth alien.

Liz watched as Tess closed her locker and then hurry into the restroom, Liz took a deep breath before deciding to go after her. Since the sun rose that morning, Liz and her friends had been watching Tess. Liz walked into the bathroom and found it relatively empty. Most of the doors were opened, she looked under the stalls to find nothing but air. She turned once and twice, and found herself utterly alone. It was impossible; Tess had definitely entered through the only doors available, the same doors she had used.

"Hi Liz"

A voice whispered, Liz whelped and whirled to find the small blond standing beside her. To say that her heart was beating furiously was an understatement; nerves racked up and all over her body.

"Tess" Liz swallowed the fear that had seemed to want to steal her voice, "I thought I saw you come in here"

Tess raised her eyebrows and flashed a superficial smile, then looked intently at Liz, for a moment she felt like an insect under a microscope.

"Look Liz" Tess said, then began to cycle around Liz the way a predator would to a prey, "I thought we were cool"

Liz felt her nerves go into over drive as she struggle to stay normal and follow the conversation, "Cool?"

"About Max" Tess said still cycling around Liz although Liz would not follow her movement, that would be like admitting that she was overcome by nerves, "I thought we talked it through"

"We did" Liz quickly admitted, and somehow like her words had any power at all, Tess finally seized moving and stood once more in front Liz.

"I thought we decided to be friends" Tess said a question mark raised in the air.

"We did" Liz agreed, her eyes caught into a trap by Tess's stare.

"All of us" Tess said, "Yes?"

Liz swallowed the uprising fear and nodded, "Yes"

"Then tell me, Liz" Tess stepped forward, closing in around her, suffocating Liz with her presence alone. Liz stood rigidly, and willed herself to not make any sudden movement or let her eyes wander from Tess's or even blink. "Why is everyone following me?"

Liz blinked and took a step back, "What?" She asked, her heart doing a marathon, everything inside of her was screaming for her to turn and ran but instead Liz did the opposite of what her instinct begged her to do.

"Have you ever felt like someone was watching you Liz?" Tess asked, a frown appearing on her round face, "Like someone is following you, like there are eyes just focused on you, watching everything you do, everywhere you go. I have felt that way since I woke up this morning. Like someone was watching me, following me, it's so unnerving, you know?"

"You think someone is watching you?" Liz asked, and then took a breath to keep calm, "Why would anyone be watching you?"

"That's a really good question Liz," Tess said then shrugged innocently, "I wish I knew"

**LM LM LM LM LM LM**

Alex Whitman was the last to know the truth.

He was a bit of an awkward boy, awkward in form and awkward around his peers. He was a smart boy, incredible so, and the world of the young is far from kind. Abused and tormented by his peers because of his natural inclination for knowledge, Alex had but two friends to count on for support. Liz Parker, and Maria DeLuca. The fact that the only friends he had in whole world were of the female persuasion did not help matters with the rest of the teenage male population. However, it came to pass that because of his close friendship with Liz and Maria, he was given an rare opportunity to be involved in the lives of three very incredible people. Three human looking individuals that were literally out this world.

Alex, like his friend Liz, was in love with an alien.

Unlike Liz, however, whose fascination with Max began after his healing touch, Alex had always felt this inexplicable affection for the beautiful Isabel Evans. And Isabel was, undoubtedly, beautiful. This was a matter of popular opinion and any person who ever had the pleasure of being graced by her presence could attest to the truth of it. In all probability, her beauty was the blame for her popularity among her high school peers. Though his affection was initially triggered by superficial means, his love for Isabel was pure in form and action.

Alex, could safely say however surprised he was about the existence of alien life on earth, he was not all that shocked to learn that Isabel was not from this world for there had always seemed, to him, this unnatural light that surrounded her. No, Isabel had to be from the heavens; of course, his initial belief had likened her to a goddess or better yet an angel. Then again, who could say she was neither, she had, after all, fallen from the stars.

The day after finding out that Tess was of the extraterrestrial variety, Alex found himself embraced in a whirlpool of pleasure having achieved the one goal he had struggled to attain these last previous months.

_Alex and Isabel sat on the chairs, in front of the screen, monitoring Tess as she climbed up the stairs in her PJs, holding in her hands a bowl of What Alex could only assume to be breakfast. Alex and Isabel had been left alone and the others had placed themselves in strategic places to better spy on the blond teen. This would be the first time, spying on someone that is, before they would have just withdrawn into the safety-net the group provided and act as if all was well. It hasn't always worked but so far everyone was still accounted for and therefore hadn't failed them yet. Spying however was untested; this could get dangerous very quickly should Tess realize she was being spied upon. _

"_This is insane, isn't it?" Isabel's voice broke the silence that had covered the entirely large dome, it jerked Alex out of his revere, and it took a moment for his mind to focus on the present and Isabel._

"_What" He finally asked eyes on the screen._

"_This, everything, Tess, Nasado, us watching her, it's all one big ball of insanity" Isabel said, her tone filled with unvented frustration. _

"_I know" Alex said after a momentary breath filled the space around them as Alex searched for words to comfort Isabel in her time of need but could not and so went for truth. "I wish I could make it better for you, If I could stop time if I would in micro-second"_

"_Stop time for me" Isabel shot a glance at the young man, "You sure I am worthy it"_

"_You are worth it" Alex said, seriousness and honest dripping from his voice for this was his true belief, "And so much more" _

_Isabel looked at him as silence descended once more, he could feel her eyes studying him but he refused to turn and look at her, he instead focused his eyes on the screen. It was not that he did not want to his eyes to claim such a beautiful image of Isabel's loveliness but Isabel's beauty had this ability to cause Alex to lose all sense of thought and the ability to breath._

"_You really mean that, don't you?" Isabel asked quietly, her tone child-like in its wonder as if it was unimaginable. _

"_What am I speaking gibberish?" Alex asked incredulously making such a face that Isabel couldn't help but smile at him for a second, a smile that went unnoticed by the young man._

"_Alex" Isabel spoke softly, butterflies began fluttering about in his stomach at the sound of his name coming from her lips, "You once said you would wait for me, remember?_

_Did Alex remember? How could he forget? His profession of undying love rejected by a dejected Isabel whose emotional state influenced her romantic possibilities. Despite looking entirely human, Alex knew she at times felt entirely un-human and so with that state of mind came the reluctance in pursuing a relationship with him or anyone else for that matter. Despite accepting her decision, Alex could not help but express his willingness to wait for her until such a time came when she would be willing to engage in a relationship with him._

"_Yes" Alex said after a beat, "I do" _

"_Well don't" Isabel said in command, "I don't want you to wait for me Alex" She spoke her command in a gentle manner as if to soften the oncoming blow._

"_You shouldn't have to wait for me Alex" Isabel went on to explain herself, "it isn't fair to you" _

_Alex could feel the rapid beating of his heart and he felt as though he could barely breathe as though unconsciously holding his breath. Silence descended once more, a loud kind of silence with a peculiar senseless odor. He felt her eyes on him, waiting for some kind of response but he forced himself to be entirely still, his eyes glued to the screen as though something interesting was taking place. _

"_So I was thinking why don't we just do it?"_

_Alex's determination to stay silence did not last long as confusion and curiosity got the better of him._

"_Do it?" Alex finally said in a quivering voice, she could not be saying what he thought she was saying. _

"_Us" Isabel clarified, "Let's give us a shot"_

_To say Alex was surprised would be an understatement, he whirled his head so fast to finally look at Isabel. He was speechless, and his breath was caught up in his lungs. So it wasn't what he thought he heard, he could admit disappointment but as it was, he still felt as though he was still misunderstanding her words._

"_Isabel" Alex said swallowing his nerves, "Did I…did I hear right?"_

"_I don't know" Isabel said with a careless shrug, "What did you hear?"_

"_Did you just…did you, I mean did you just agree to be…be my gir ..my gir"_

"_Girlfriend" Isabel finished his stuttering statement like an angel of mercy, and when Alex gave a nod of confirmation, Isabel smiled, "Yeah, I did" _

_Alex blinked a couple of times, speechless, shocked and pushed down the swirl of pleasure that had begun to emerge from the pit of his stomach._

"_This is a dream, isn't it?" Alex asked, whispering to himself, "I probably still in my bed right not, sleeping, this is just a pleasant dream, figures."_

"_No Alex" Isabel said calmly smiling at Alex, she reached out to grasp his hands and Alex felt a jolt shot through him as she held his eyes under some magical spell, "This is real, I want to be with you, I'm ready…so what do you say?"_

_What do you say? Was she asking for his opinion? Permission? After all those months pursuing Isabel and facing rejection after rejection, the girl of his dream, the most beautiful girl in school, possibly the entire planet had finally decided to be with someone like him when she could have anyone else she wanted and she was asking him for what? What exactly he thought about the possibility of being with her? This wasn't physics, which he was good at, or chemistry, which he excelled in, or mathematics, in which he was the president of the mathelits. He was a smart guy, and this was a no brainer. He outwardly calmly and graciously accepted Isabel's offer though in his mind he was an Olympics gymnastic doing cartwheels with fireworks lightening the sky in the background. _

This was mind-blowing, possible the most amazing thing to ever happen in his young life. Isabel Evans had finally agreed to be his lady love, and Alex carrying a heart filled with pleasure was more than happy to perform the duty of watching and spying on an alien in disguise without any forth coming complains. Not that he would have had any complains whatsoever, he would do anything to protect Isabel and the others. So with a smile planted on his face, he shot suspicious glances at Tess who was seated a few tables behind him in their shared sixth period class, creative writing. The teacher was of the male persuasion, and on, he droned about the melancholy life of Macbeth. Alex was hardly paying attention to him however. When the bell signaling the end of class, Alex got up with a relieved breath, however he packed his bags slowly, eyes shadowing Tess Harding. His concentration failed him as he tried to zip up his bag, and all the contents fell on the floor.

"Alex"

Alex's body felt a tingling of coldness crawl into his skin, clinging to him like a awful stench he could not rid himself of. In all honest, as honest as he felt he could, Alex could not deny to himself how much he disliked Tess, he could not help it, it was instinctual as if the core of his very nature had known that something was not altogether right about her.

"Let me help you with that" Tess offered in all politeness.

Alex resisted the urge to roll his eyes for even her voice grated on his very nerves, "you don't have to" He started to say but it was too late for she had already knelt beside him.

The two then began to gather the fallen items and Alex worked extra hard not to give any indication to where his real feelings lay. His intense dislike in regards to one Tess Harding began the very first time he saw her or rather the very first time she strode to a table he was sharing with Isabel, joining in a conversation she was not invited to join, then preceded to steel Isabel's precious attention from him. It always seemed and cannot be denied, to Alex, that whenever he was with Isabel, engaging in serious conversation or about to have an intimate moment, Tess had the unpropitious tendency to show up and with her very presence dispose of the warm air. It was more than annoying, very despicable, and one would wonder if it had been done purposely.

"So, Alex" Tess said, "I hear congratulations are in order"

"What do you mean?" He had no choice but to ask, no choice but to talk to her as not to arouse suspicion even though it was the last thing he wished to do.

"You and Isabel" She said as it was a matter of fact topic, then she leaned towards him, uncomfortable close and smiled then said in a rather conspirator tone, "I hear that you two are officially an item"

"How do you know that" Alex said, unable to mask his suspicious nature. Isabel and Alex had just decided to become a couple a couple hours ago and not many but a few knew.

"I have my ways" Tess said with an unnatural smile, one than made Alex shiver then she laughed, "Also, it's totally kinda of all over school, hon"

"Is it" Alex said in wonder accepting the last of his fallen item from the blond girl who was not a girl, a girl he did not particularly like who gave a confirmation with a shake of her head to the question asked and Alex felt with himself a burst of pleasure and pride. He hoped, sincerely, that the news had reached the boys who had once upon a time taken a particular fancy in bullying him. He hoped that those detestable young men would all drown in a river of envy and sorrow.

"It's strange though, huh?" Tess stated, and like a whip her voice broke apart his reflection in that unforgettable past.

"Strange?" Alex said, the question hanging in the air as they walked down the hallway, weaving around a maze-like structure fellow peers created either by standing idle by or blocking a desired path.

"The thing is Alex, and please don't take this the wrong way" Tess said, the last bit said quickly, and at this Alex did roll his eyes, "I just didn't think Isabel saw you like that, it doesn't make any sense and I am usually very good at these things, or at least reading people, you know what I mean?"

"No" Alex answered, stopping at the doorway of his next class.

"You don't find it strange?" Tess asked, "Why now? You have pinning after Isabel for years, at least that's what I gathered from everyone, and have always been rejected but suddenly she's into you, I mean I do know it's none of my business but aren't you curious"

"You know Tess, you are right" Alex said his expression changing; "It is none of your business," He told her, his voice colder than any iceberg on earth and without giving her a chance to respond left her standing there alone. He could not believe it, could not come to terms with it, the gall of the girl. Did she take some perverse pleasure in irritating him, in getting involved in matters not her concern? How could she ask such absurd questions? What right did she have to do so? Whatever she was, whoever she was. How dare she? As if it was inconceivable to suppose that a beauty like Isabel could not favor a fine young man such as he. Alex, who knew the whole truth, who understood Isabel as none other. Who has loved her from the very moment he stepped foot in this fine educational institute. It was a fine thought, a held belief. Alex and Isabel belonged together, he knew that, with everything in him, he knew. Who else could she be with but him? Who? Alex closed his eyes, an insistent drumming becoming at home in his head. Oh yes. It was officially official, if Alex didn't like Tess before, he certainly did now. He definitely despised her.


End file.
